ABL FINAL SERIES UNDERWAY; LEAGUES PLOT DRAFT STRATEGY

The first game of the ABL Championship series between
the Columbus Quest and the Richmond Rage drew 4,152 at
Battelle Hall in Columbus, OH. The best-of-five-game series
continues Tuesday night (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 3/3).
SEASON REAX: In Colorado Springs, Ralph Routon of the
GAZETTE TELEGRAPH: "Just how good was the American
Basketball League and its Denver franchise, the Colorado
Xplosion? Better than even the most hopeful optimists could
have expected." Noting the 4,000-plus regular attendance,
Routon notes "the best news of all was the quality of
basketball. ... That's the best reason -- quality of product
-- for the ABL to push onward. ... The guess here is, by
next season, we'll see some kind of merger between the ABL
and WNBA, which clearly would be in the sport's best
interests. It would also have an excellent chance of
survival" (Colorado Springs GAZETTE TELEGRAPH, 3/1). In St.
Petersburg, Sharon Ginn of the TIMES: "Both leagues are
preparing for their next drafts -- late April for the WNBA
and early May for the ABL. ... For now, recruiting efforts
are low-key." The ABL has been sending information about
its league to coaches, letting them give it to their seniors
"at the appropriate time," according to Tracey Williams, ABL
Dir of Player Personnel. Ginn: "There is still the
untouched issue of what happens if an underclassmen decides
to leave school early" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 3/2).